Clearing the Air

Although it is still strictly speaking winter time, there's something about entering the month of March that makes us turn our thoughts towards spring. As a result many of us think about the inevitable spring clean, but is it enough just to clean our homes of dust and grime or should we be looking to actually cleanse the space we live in on an energy level too?

Just as we like to feel healthy and energetic, our homes too benefit from free flowing energy and fortunately clearing the air can be both a simple and rewarding task that most of us can manage to fit into our busy lifestyles. Below are just a few ideas.

• Fill a small dish with water and add to it a teaspoon of salt. If you would like to add a pleasant aroma then essential oil of Cypress or Frankinense is recommended for their cleansing properties. Walk clockwise around each room sprinkling the salted water into all the dark corners whilst saying the following: 'Cleanse this place, my sacred space'.


• Ring a bell, play a singing bowl, clap your hands, drum, or sing in each room as the vibration on sound will raise the energy.


• Light a smudge stick (a bunch of tied sage) or an incense stick and walk clockwise around the room, chanting the words above.


• If you are a reiki practitioner you can use reiki energy to cleanse your room or if not you can simply use the power of visualise a bright white light illuminating your home and clearing all negativity.


• You may wish to place crystals in the corners of your room, each of which carry their own vibrations although clear quartz is reknowned for space clearing.

Happy Spring Clearing!

Coping with Grief

At Last it is the first day of March! The last two months have been dark for many, myself included, not only because of it being winter but also because my Mum passed away on the 5th January, an event which has changed many aspects of my life.

Until you lose someone close you can never really understand how it feels and grief affects different people in different ways, manifesting in all kinds of physical aches, pains and peculiar ailments to which there apparently seems no rhyme or reason, besides the heart rending pain of emotional loss. It is a time when everyone who is grieving should treat themselves gently and allow themselves time to cry, perhaps to be angry but hopefully come to find an acceptance and understanding of an event which is always life changing.

Nothing initially will ever take away the raw pain of loss but burning aromatic essential oils can have a profound effect on the psyche. Burning the following oils either alone or in combination on an incense burner or aromastone is recommended as long as NOT MORE than 6 drops are used at anyone time in a little water.

Cypress: Cleanses the air, lifts the atmosphere and clears any negative energies, associated with having to cope with hospitals, funeral parlours, crematoriums etc. It also has the reputation of bringing about an acceptance of death and was always revered by the ancients as having the ability to carry the soul of the departed on its journey.

Rose: Fills the heart with love and helps us to remember that the essence of our loved one is never lost.

Bergamot: Uplifts the soul and helps to ease depressive states that may descend following the passing of someone close.

Bach Flower Remedies may also help, especially the following:

Sweet Chestnut: For extreme anguish

Star of Bethlehem: For shock

(take these in accordance with instructions on the bottle)

May everyone who is suffering take comfort from the fact that you are not alone and that the Divine essence which resides in nature can help to ease the burden in some small way.

Natural Healing for Sciatica

This week I've been asked for help regarding sciatic nerve pain. Sciatica can be both excrutiating and, rather annoyingly, take many forms. These include:

• Pain radiating out from the lower back
• Pain in the buttocks especially when sitting or rising
• Pain or numbness down the legs
• Pain or numbness in the feet and toes

There are of course many pathways you can take to ease the pain, although sciatica is often one of those things that often rights itself albeit after 6-8 weeks. Manipulative complementary and orthodox approaches include:

• Physiotherapy
• Osteopathy
• Chiropractic
• Bowen Technique
• Acupuncture

Mrs Darley however was always an advocate for vinegar and often recommended it for all kinds of ailments (it had to be the right kind though!) and for both sciatica and arthritis she recommended the use of cider vinigar in either of the following ways:

As a preventative:

1 teaspoon cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon honey in 1/2 cup hot water to drink first thing in the morning.

To ease the pain:

2 teaspoon cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons honey in a sitz (very shallow) bath to which a handful of dried nettle leaves are added.

My own remedies would include the use of essential oils, although care must be taken NOT to massage the area only to stroke the oils in gently twice a day in the following dilution:

2 drops lavender, 2 drops German Chamomile (Roman will suffice if you can't get German), 1 drop Basil blended into 2 teaspoon of carrier oil such as sweet almond or grapeseed.

Do NOT use the essential oils if you are pregnant and please do NOT exceed the suggested dose.

For those who prefer less hands on and a more esoteric approach carrying a piece of malachite may help.

Take care and hope this helps.